Fever
by pinkistheflavor
Summary: "I'm an open book, Jack. Ask me whatever you want." Heath Ledger's Joker x OFC - NEXT UPDATE - FEB 2018 -
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note_ _: Hey everyone, I'm uploading this because I've been thinking about pairing the Nolanverse Joker with a specific OC I had in my head. I'm not yet sure how long this will be, but I would really appreciate any comments on the story so far, as well as the characters introduced in this chapter, in order to see what would be the most interesting plot line to follow :)_

Elena stared at the screen before her, her eyes boring into the words she'd read what felt like a million times. She'd been sitting at her local cafe for an hour, cursing the fact that she arrived at the same time the high school down the street let out.

At first the voices were barely noticeable, but they inevitably grew louder as the cafe was filled to what seemed to be its full capacity.

"Goddamn it," she sighed, closing the browser. _I'll have better luck at home,_ she thought to herself.

Elena stood up quickly, offering her seat to a girl who had been standing with her drink awkwardly near her. The girl, who looked to be 14 or 15, gave Elena a shy smile before taking the seat.

Exiting the cafe, Elena began to walk the couple of blocks to her apartment. Downtown Gotham was teeming with people enjoying the late June weather, a testament to the lazy summer days that awaited them in the coming months. Though not originally from Gotham, Elena had called the city home for the past two years while she attended university. Now that she had finally graduated, Elena looked forward to her gap year with joy, looking forward to job hunting and travelling.

She entered the luxurious apartment complex where she lived, waving hello to the security guard at the front desk, James. She rode the elevator to the second floor, which only had one other apartment. Now, Elena new how fortunate she was. She had a good head on her shoulders and her parents never let her forget how hard they both had worked to give her and her siblings a good, no, _great_ life. So she never misbehaved, attended school like it was expected of her, and didn't touch any of her savings. Not that she needed to, her monthly allowance of $5,000 suited her basic needs, and she didn't spend carelessly.

Elena dropped her purse on the floor of her spacious living room, something she loved doing since no one was around to tell her to pick it up. Since it was still early, Elena figured she had time to go to the park and maybe read. After taking a quick shower, she put on a loose lavender crop top, paired with light denim jeans and flats. Elena picked up her bag off the floor, grabbed a book she'd left on the kitchen counter and exited the apartment.

:::

Gotham City was admittedly a step down when it came to comparing other cities Elena had visited. Her hometown, Bilbao, boasted beautiful European architecture and sprawling beaches. She loved visiting the museums and restaurants with her siblings. Gotham was, well, charming in its own special way, Elena supposed. The university she'd attended there was one of the best in the country, and the fact that Wayne Enterprises' main headquarters was located there also meant that the city enjoyed a successful financial district. However, it would be a serious mistake to think that all the changes the city had gone through made it safe to live there. Elena had heard too many stories about classmates getting assaulted, and an acquaintance she'd met during her junior year was still recovering in the hospital from a home invasion gone wrong.

No, Elena had no silly notions about Gotham. Yet she felt that if she lingered long enough, she could empathize with its citizens.

As she made her way to Gotham Gardens, Elena felt her phone _buuuzzinngg_ in her back pocket. She reached for it and furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of the caller ID; she picked up nonetheless.

"Hello, Eric?" Elena answered.

"Elena? Hi! How are you?" Eric's voice replied from the other end of the line.

"I'm fine, is everything alright?" She asked as she hurriedly crossed the street.

"I am doing well, thanks. You might be confused as to why I'm calling- well, you sound confused," Eric chuckled. "It's nothing serious, it's just that I am now realizing that last time I saw you at the college computer lab, we accidentally swapped flash drives and I need mine right now for some work that I am doing. Are you busy?"

Elena raised her eyebrows in realization, thinking that her former classmate might be right. "Oh god, I haven't even checked it. I'm out right now, but I think that I might have it on me, just give me a sec..." Elena stepped to the side, trying to get out of everyone's way. She took a peek in her bag's inside pocket, and sure enough there was a black USB drive with the letter E written in gold sharpie.

"Yup, I've got it on me. I was headed to the gardens, but I can meet you wherever you're at. Send me your location, yeah?"

After receiving directions from Eric, Elena realized that they weren't too far away from each other, so she decided to walk.

The building which Eric indicated was very nondescript, nothing from it stood out to her. It was located a few blocks from downtown Gotham, and if she'd kept walking east more, she would have been in the Narrows, just not quite. It wasn't a great location to meet someone, but it wasn't the worst, either.

The streets were almost empty, as were the buildings, and Elena was glad the sun was still out, the light putting her at ease.

She wondered whether she should knock, but the huge metal door looked like it trapped any sound. Before she could start looking for a doorbell, the heavy door creaked and started moving. Elena jumped slightly, startled at the sudden movement that she didn't cause.

 _What in the..._

Her panic was short lived, as the door quickly revealed Eric on the other side. He greeted her with a huge smile.

"Hiya!"

Elena rolled her eyes, but found a smile start creeping on her lips. She was actually glad to see him; they had one group project together and shared mutual acquaintances during their time at school. Not keeping in touch was a result of their lives post-graduation starting, not lack of affection.

"Hey," she greeted back, leaning in for a hug.

"Come in, come in! You look great by the way! What have you been up to? I heard that..." Eric spoke to her, the boundless energy she remembered starting to pop up again.

Elena took in her surroundings, which weren't really much. The space was an abandoned office building, but it seemed that they had made do with what they had, setting it up so it looked like it was half still in use, half neglected.

The two began chatting back and forth, letting each other know what they were each up to.

"So, you work here?" Elena asked Eric as he brought her into an old office she guessed was his.

"Yeah, here and there, you know. Work keeps you on the move," he answered nonchalantly with a wave of his hand.

Eric offered her a seat before taking his seat behind his desk.

"Computer programming? IT?"

"Yeah, a little bit of everything. It keeps me busy, you know, keeps food on the table," Eric smiled charmingly at her.

Elena smiled back. Nothing really seemed out of place. _Must be a startup company._

"Oh, before I forget, here it is," Elena grabbed the drive from her bag and put it on Eric's desk.

"You haven't checked this, right?" He asked, taking it in his hands and turning it over.

"Nope, I honestly even forgot I owned a flash drive," she chuckled lightly.

"Same here. But this one is special. Let's just say my boss would not have liked it if I lost this, so thank you for bringing it here and-"

Before Eric could finish, they both heard a loud CLANK! from down the hall, then a lot of voices.

"Uh oh, I think he's hereee..." Eric mumbled. He placed the drive in one of his desk drawers and stood up, smoothing his shirt.

"Is everything alright?" Elena asked, wondering if she should be worried or not.

"Yeah, yeah, everything is fine it's just, ah, maybe I should have met up with you..." Eric trailed off again, looking off in the distance. Elena stood up, noticing that her friend didn't really look nervous, but sort of distracted, like he was thinking.

 _Maybe his boss doesn't like visitors._

"Okay, here's what's going to happen," Eric said quickly, his voice still calm. "You're going to see somethings, some, ah, people, and you might be surprised at first, but please, please don't say anything that will get you, well, killed. Actually, don't say anything at all, just let me do the talking," Eric says, walking up to Elena and placing both is hands on her shoulders.

Elena nodded carefully. _Did he just say I could get killed? For visiting him at work?_

"Okay, let's go."

Eric and Elena walked out of the office, Elena trailing Eric slightly since she didn't know where they were going. Eric led her deeper into the building until they came to a huge conference-type room, which was filled with at least 8 huge men, all dressed in black. Elena and Eric could see them through the glass door. The men all stood against a wall, with one man pacing in front of them.

Elena took in his appearance: dark purple suit, dull orange socks, stringy wet hair with the ends dyed green. She felt her jaw tighten, and she gave Eric a questioning look. He had to be messing with her, she thought.

Eric didn't make eye contact with Elena, instead optioning to reach forward and pull the door open. Elena felt her breath hitch in her throat, starting for feel uncomfortable. _What the hell is happening?_

Elena kept her eyes squarely on the back of Eric's head as the two entered the room.

"Ah, ah, it's so _nice_ of you to join us," the man in the purple suit spoke. His voice, while not unpleasant, Elena noted, did have a certain tick to it that she couldn't quite place. It just sounded odd.

"Sir," Eric spoke, his voice serious. "I have someone with me."

Elena raised her head and thought that she should avoid looking at the man, but her curiosity got the better of her. After a quick glance, there was no mistaking the appearance, the voice.

"I can _see_ that," the Joker said, taking a step forward. "Do you not get enough days off for-ah, dinner dates?"

Elena sneaked a peak at Eric from the corner of her eyes, and she realized that he wasn't nervous. He's worked for him for a while, she realized.

"She's my cousin," Eric easily said.

Elena let her eyes wander around the room before they inevitably settled on Gotham's most infamous criminal. She took in his appearance, tilting her head slightly. _He really wasn't that scary, once you really looked. It's probably the makeup that unsettled people. Oh, and the scars._

"Hmm, this is _not_ a family business," the Joker replied, turning back to his men. They stood alert, ready for instruction. "But... you can both stay. Stay and _watch_."

Eric nodded, though the Joker could not see. Elena didn't dare utter a word, knowing how unpredictable the Joker could be.

"Thank you all for attending your monthly HR meeting," he started, his pitch rising slightly. "We are gathered here to-day because one little piggy was _too eager_ to have a couple extra bucks in _his_ bank account, but he didn't take into _consideration_ how that would bear on the rest of _you_ ," the Joker continued, his tone mocking.

The men just stared at him, too scared to respond.

"WHO is in charge of the _numbers_ , hmm? Eric, do you know?" He turned quickly to look at Eric.

"Martinsson is, sir," Eric replied dutifully.

"Hmm, yes, _Maarrtinnsssonn, Marty, Marty, Marty_ ," the Joker stepped up to a man who looked to be no more than 30 years old. The man in question, Samuel Martinsson could only stare straight ahead, afraid of what was in store for him.

"Do I get an _explanation_? Hmm?" The Joker cooed at him, leaning in closer with every word. "Have I not treated you, ah, _well_?"

Elena knew that whatever answer the man had to give was useless. The Joker had already made up his mind. He knew it, Martinsson knew it.

"I am feeling, though, _nice_ right now, in the presence of a lady," the Joker turned back around, giving Elena a look she couldn't quite place. "So, let's play a game, hmm? _You_ -" he pointed at Martinsson, "- are going to get a head start to leave this building, and your _friends_ are going go after you. Think of it as a retirement _party,"_ the Joker said in that mocking tone again.

More like hunting party.

"You have 15 seconds! Run! _Runnnn-ah_!" The Joker yelled out in glee.

Martinsson didn't hesitate, not looking at the men around him before making his way to the door. The Joker, less patient, lounged at him, kicking him in the back. Martinsson stumbled, hurriedly making his way out of the room.

Elena thought she should feel bad for the man. But what good would that do? The man was as good as dead, she knew. Pity was pointless.

The other men in the room followed him out, knowing what they had to do. Elena turned her head, looking at Eric, stunned. She didn't want to witness a _murder._ She didn't want to be here at all.

"Eric..." she croaked out. Eric still wouldn't look at her, but she could see him shaking his head as if saying, _not now._

"Now this-ah, _thing_ here," the Joker walked towards Eric and Elena.

The three's attention was stolen momentarily as a single gunshot rang in the air. Elena's body let out an involuntary shudder.

Seeing as the Joker was distracted, Eric decided to speak first. "Elena was the one who revised the computer code that allowed us into Arkham's archive in April, sir."

Elena looked at Eric incredulously. _I revised what_?

"Hmm?" Was all the Joker said.

"She also helped me with the system that allowed us to view all of Gambol's accounts," Eric added, his smile fading once he saw the look on Elena's face.

"Are you kidding me?!" she whispered to Eric, thinking back to when she helped him with his 'extracurriculars'. _So that's what that was._

"I'm impressed," the Joker said, yet he sounded all but. _This is it_ , Elena thought. _Sell yourself, bitch, make yourself important. I mean, you really did help him with all of that... Even though you didn't know you were helping a criminal mastermind..._

"I, uh, I'm good at that stuff, you know, numbers..." Elena said, trying to keep her voice level. She made sure to make eye contact with the Joker, who didn't look too sure and, if she was honest, looked like he was thinking of ways to get rid of her.

"I am also good at keeping my mouth shut," she added quickly. The Joker quirked up an eyebrow, his interest now piqued. "I mean, I have been for months, you know, working with Eric and helping..."

"Helping _me_? Ah, yes. Well, I don't see why not-ah. A position has just been vacated recently, I don't know if you _hearrddd_ ," his mouth turned up in what Elena assumed was a smile, and his tongue darted out quickly, licking his bottom lip.

Elena nodded slowly, knowing that refusing would be futile. "I have no other plans to look forward to," she tried to smile, but it felt awkward on her face due to the current situation.

"You start tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

The Joker gave Elena no further instructions as to what her actual job would be, and when she'd finally built up the courage to asked, he left the room, muttering something about the operation going to shit.

Eric grabbed Elena by the arm, shooting her a look once he saw she was going to start talking again.

"Not here, too many people around."

They walked in silence all the way back to Eric's office, where he shut the door and pulled down the shades that lined the top of the window which allowed them to see out to the hall.

"Look I know what you're thinking, 'Oh Eric, how could you, he's dangerous and crazy', I know," he held up a hand to stop his friend from talking. Elena closed her mouth, folding her arms across her chest and looking at Eric expectantly.

"I knew I wasn't going to get a job after I graduated. Or at least not a good one, you know? Not one that would really use my talents. I was up to my neck in debt before we even graduated! $30,000, Elena! And that's not just on me, you know? My parents co-signed on my loans, my mom almost declared bankruptcy last year because she couldn't handle it. But now?" Eric laughed almost in astonishment. "Now, I can buy a car. We graduated a month ago, Elena, and I set up a time payment with the school where I can have all of this paid off by _November_. Can you believe that? My parents can retire in _two years_ because I can help them finish paying their mortgage _and_ pay for my little brother's school tuition when he starts next fall. The idea of a savings account with money actually in it doesn't sound like a crazy idea anymore because there's actually money coming into the house!"

"Eric," Elena started, her voice low. "You can't expect me to- I mean, this? Him?"

"Elena, you've never worked a day in your life, I couldn't possibly expect you understand all the shit that I've been through," Eric stated firmly.

"You could've found a job," she retorted.

"I don't know if you know this, but the Gotham workforce isn't exactly looking for 22 year old Latino men to work in IT. Trust me, I checked."

The two stared at each other defiantly. Elena's gaze softened.

"Did I offend you?" She asked.

Eric sighed and leaned against his desk. "No, you just... Don't understand. And I don't expect you to. But please, please don't tell me that there's another way, because there isn't. I am not mistreated here, I don't participate in the more... violent excursions. I just look at the computers, and sometimes the numbers, and keep my head down. I get my commission every two weeks and I take that home to my family, that's it."

Elena nodded, still feeling that she had offended her friend.

"Okay, I'm sorry, it just took me off-guard is all, but I guess since I work here now, I'll get over it," she uncrossed her arms and started playing with her thumbs.

"I'm actually sorry for that. I should've definitely met you elsewhere, now you're in this because of me," Eric shakes his head ruefully.

"So, what exactly am I doing?" She asks.

"Bookkeeping, really. Martinsson was good enough, I guess, but since he got caught stealing, well, you know. Anyways, I think you're more qualified," Eric walks over to his desk, taking a seat and waking up his PC.

Elena took Eric's lead and sat down on the chair she had previously occupied, letting out a shaky breath.

Eric looked away from the computer screen, taking in her slumped shoulders. "Don't worry, he won't expect you to work from here. Just buy a phone where he can always reach you at, you know, one of those burner phones, and send me weekly reports every Thursday. I will get those to him, so you don't have to worry about unnecessary interaction. Now, for your pay."

Eric led Elena through what would be expected of her, which she had to admit, wasn't really much. No stealing any money (like she was crazy enough to do that), no blabbing to the police (again, Elena quite liked her life), and no contact with the competition. After asking a couple more questions, Elena decided that the turn of events had exhausted her for the day. Eric walked her outside where she hailed a cab for the 10 minute ride back to her apartment, where she collapsed on her couch almost as soon as she got home.

::::

The next three weeks were uneventful. Elena followed all of Eric's instructions and discretions while working on the books. She even went out and got herself a disposable phone, saving Eric, and then the Joker's numbers on it.

The numbers kept her really busy though, so busy that she didn't leave her house for three days while she tried to figure out why some accounts didn't add up. _Oh god, he's gonna kill me_ , she thought. _The damn numbers don't make sense so he's gonna kill me_.

She eventually figured it out, though, and afterwards felt silly at herself for letting her anxiety over the Joker's wrath get the better of her.

That night, a Thursday, Elena turned in her work at exactly 7:30pm, impressed that she was able to revise and correct the numbers by herself. _Job, schob, I can work._

She decided to reward herself by visiting the cafe near her apartment before it closed for the night. Throwing on a navy babydoll dress and putting her hair in a high pony, Elena ran out the door, one eye on the time.

The night air in Gotham felt great against her skin, a light breeze blowing by. Distracted by the dark hues of the sky, Elena didn't see the man wearing a blue button down shirt and olive green pants walking towards her. It was obvious that he was walking directly towards her, though his shoulders slumped forward while he walked so his face leaned down.

Elena turned her face forward at the last second before the inevitable clash of bodies.

Except, it never came.

Elena hurriedly reached her arm forward stopping the man centimeters away from her body, the other hand across her body, pulling her bag up to her shoulder.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" She asked, though she couldn't really see his face despite them being so close.

"Are you okay?" The man asked, and before Elena could answer, he grabbed her arm and turned her back around in the direction of her building.

"What are you-" She yelped, turning to look at the man. She was startled when she saw his face devoid of makeup, though Eric had warned her it would happen.

 _He'll show up anywhere you are. Remember, you work for him, okay? So when it happens, try to get over that initial surprise as quickly as possible and see what he needs,_ he'd told her.

She knew it was a matter of _when_ , not if, as Eric had told her, but it was surprising nonetheless, especially since she didn't think he knew where she lived.

"Let's go upstairs, hmm? Don't make any sudden _movements_ around the front desk, sweets, you don't want to see how it turns out."

Elena nodded quickly.

They made it back to the building less than a minute later, the Joker now holding her forearm, his hand warm around her skin. She was surprised that his grip wasn't forceful, which helped her relax a bit more.

James was at the front desk, and offered Elena a smile once he saw her, his shift having just started.

Elena thought quickly. _He knows where you live, he'll probably show up here again. Better James know him now rather than him force himself inside the building with his full costume on._

"Good evening, James. I am having my friend over here for dinner tonight, but we're a bit tight on time, so could I possibly sign him in later?" Elena asked quickly as the pair made their way across the hall to the elevators. She thought she felt the Joker tense a bit when she started talking, but she wasn't too sure.

"Of course, Miss Elena. Have a great night, both of you," James smiled warmly, mostly at Elena since the Joker was already inside the elevator.

Elena smiled in response and walked inside, keeping her smile until the doors closed. She saw the button for her level was already pressed. She looked over at the Joker, somewhat annoyed. What else did he know?

The Joker's hands were clasped in front of him as he stared back at Elena, humor clear in his eyes. She took note of how lighter his eyes were without the dark makeup around them, and saw that streaks of white still clung to his face around the edges.

The scars, they were, well, scars. They were not beautiful, but Elena suspected that this was the best they were ever going to look. Before she could study him more, the two broke off their staring contest once the elevator made it to her floor. Elena walked out first, the Joker closely following behind her.

They entered her apartment wordlessly; she kicked her shoes off at the door and smoothed out her hair at the sides, letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in.

The Joker stood at her doorway, peeking in first before putting forward one leg, then the other. Elena walked to her living room, sitting down and waiting patiently while he did... What ever it was he was doing.

The Joker looked at Elena's shoes at the entrance, looked up at her, then took his own shoes off, placing them next to hers. He took a look down the hall that lead to the two bedrooms and restroom, before shrugging and crossing over to the living room.

She stared at him readily, but he just assessed the living room with his hands on his hips, nodding slowly.

He pointed up and twirled his fingers around. "It's nicer than I thought."

Elena let out an exasperated sigh, deciding to humor him. "Thanks, I didn't pay for it."

The Joker nodded and pursed his lips, almost impressed. "I guessed as much."

He sat on the couch opposite Elena, stretching his legs out. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He just looked at her, the pillows, and occasionally threw a glance at the kitchen.

"Soooo... What is this? Performance review?" She made her voice light, almost conversational.

"Hmm, exactly. Show me what you've been working on, sweets."

Elena closed her eyes briefly, wondering once again what she got herself into, before getting up to grab her laptop.

She was in for a strange night.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks again for the support. This whole chapter is Elena/J, and as I was writing, I realized that I wanted them (mainly her) to have some level of ease around him. I don't want the Joker in this story to be abusive towards her as their relationship progresses, and the only way I could see that happening is if he doesn't pull out a knife out of the blue and threatens her or does this or that. She knows and he knows that he's dangerous, and that (I think) should be enough. Also, I'll be using Joker/Jack interchangeably throughout this chapter and possibly in the future until it can settle for one or the other organically; I'll let Elena decide what she's comfortable with. Any suggestions/comments about the story, I'll be happy to read, but I am outlining right now and I've got something in mind that I hope you all will enjoy. As always, thanks for reading :-)_

 _::::_

"So I-ah heard you mention dinner," the Joker looked up at Elena from where she had left him in the living room, her laptop on his lap.

She looked at him from the kitchen, though his eyes were on the laptop, looking over his account statements.

"You're hungry?" She asked as she grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge. She didn't hear a response, but when she turned around she saw him getting up from the couch, setting the laptop down.

As the Joker walked towards Elena, she quickly turned back around, opening the fridge to get the ingredients to make sandwiches. Setting everything she was going to need on the counter, she sucked in a breath when the Joker pushed his body up on the counter in one swift move, sitting so that his knee was almost touching her side.

She glimpsed at his face as he studied the ingredients she had put out, his expression unreadable.

"Are... Sandwiches okay?" Elena asked, surprised she was able to maintain her voice level.

The Joker dragged his eyes away from the food to her face and gave one quick nod. Elena nodded back, but there was something that was bothering her, something she just had to ask...

"Okay, listen, I don't mean for this to come out the wrong way, so I want you to believe me when I say that I am watching my words but... What do I call you? I mean, everyone that works for you, they're scared of you. If I am going to do good work, for free if you will, I need to be comfortable... Around you. And that means knowing your name," she let out in one breath. She looked up at him and noticed his shoulders were hunched forward again, his face leaning down a bit. His fingers were intertwined on his lap, white paint that seemed to be a part of him stuck in the crevices of his nails and fingers.

"Is there something wrong with my money?" He asks, leaning towards her a bit.

"What? No, listen," she shakes her head, beginning to prepare their food. "Your pay, it's quite generous, believe me, I just can't take it, it doesn't feel right."

"It doesn't seem like you need it," he answers, looking around the space. Elena smirked.

"Just think of it as an unpaid internship, yeah?" She quirked up an eyebrow.

The Joker shrugged, pursing his lips. "Call me... Jack."

"Jack? Okay, that's doable-"

"Or John," the Joker interrupted, his voice teasing.

"Well which one is it?" She asked, keeping an eye on the bread she was toasting.

"I quite like Jamie," he responded easily with a wave of his hand, his eyes back on the food.

"Okay," Elena sucked in a breath, careful to not roll her eyes. "I'm gonna call you Jack, is that fine with you?"

"Is that _fine_ with you, Jack?" He retorted teasingly.

Elena didn't answer, instead choosing to finish making their sandwiches. She placed each of them on a plate, then cut them diagonally. When Jack reached out to grab a piece, she instinctively slapped his hand away.

Jack leaped to his feet, fluidly coming between Elena and the counter. " _Is_ there a problem?" He whispered threateningly.

Elena stared a him blankly before replying. "My guests eat at the table, not in the kitchen like the help." She reached behind him and grabbed both plates, making her way to the dining room.

She set his plate at the head of the table, with hers on his right side. She gestured at the seat. "Please, sit. I'll get us something to drink."

Elena didn't know why she was treating him normally. Though it was strange as hell for him to show up at her building and practically drag her back upstairs, his general behavior was civil, and that she could work with.

The Joker surprisingly did as he was told, an amused expression on his face as he watched Elena almost _cater_ to him. Elena returned shortly with lemonades for them both and sat down at the table.

" _May_ we begin?" Jack taunted and started to eat before Elena could answer. He took big bites and chewed quickly and with his mouth slightly open, as if the food was hot.

"I can be quite... Anal at times," Elena said, placing a hand under her chin, watching the Joker eat.

"Oh _honey_ , it's too early for that sort of talk," he responds with his mouth full, his eyes dark but still teasing.

Elena can't help the laugh that escapes her, and Jack looks at her in delight, shaking his head a bit. "I didn't actually think you were funny, you know," she comments offhandedly, picking at her food. "I thought it was meant to be ironic."

"What's ironic is how good this sandwich is, considering it doesn't look like you use that kitchen often, doll- Are you gonna eat that?" He motions to her plate. She pushes it towards him.

"I am perfectly home trained, if you must know," Elena says matter-of-factly. "Also, I have another question."

Jack grunts, "You seem to have a lot of those," he says between bites. Elena asks anyways, feeling like whole of their exchange was going quite decently, considering who he was.

"Why don't you just take care of your own books? It's not that hard, and who'd be more trustworthy than you?"

"The money isn't the _point_ , dearest," the Joker speaks, enunciating each word. He sits with his arms on the table now that he's done with the food, hands flat down. "But my men need to know that someone is keeping an eye on the money we have, so that _I know_ if anything goes missing. And I don't like nothing going on behind my back. I don't like that _at all_."

Elena nodded slowly; even without the makeup he was something to behold. It seemed like she couldn't keep her eyes off of him, and his last words reminded her that she should still be weary of him. _Also the guy he had killed_ , she thought to herself. _Don't forget about that_.

"Also I-ah, I can't count," the Joker shrugged, his tongue licking his bottom lip again. Elena stared at him in horror.

"You can't-"

" _HA_!" The Joker threw his head back with a wild laugh, which made Elena raise an arm to her chest in surprise. "You thought I couldn't _count_ , come on, give me some credit," he mocked her, still laughing.

"You know, I've got neighbors," she said sourly once she realized she'd been had. She stood up and started to reach for their plates when her phone started to ring. She looked down at Jack and saw that he was too busy downing his lemonade and seemed to be reaching for hers as well. She left the plates and walked to her bag which was still by the door; her phone had started to ring a second time as she got it out of the bag. Looking at the caller ID, she took in a breath and answered.

"Hi, ma," Elena spoke, walking back to her seat at the table and trying to not look at the Joker.

"Yes, everything is fine, I've just been busy with work," she answered her mother, focusing on the Joker's hands.

 _You got a job?_ Came her mom's voice from the end of the line. Her English was beautifully accented and Elena smiled as she listened to her, remembering her mother teaching her words in the language as she was growing up.

"Err- I'm more of a volunteer," Elena said as she took a peek at the Joker's face. He regarded her amusingly but made no attempt to end her conversation. "My boss is here right now, though."

Their conversation continued for a couple of more minutes, Elena desperate to get her mother off the phone as she saw Jack starting to look around her apartment. There was no doubt in her mind that he would search the place if she didn't keep an eye on him.

Once she hung up, she got up again to remove their dishes to the kitchen. She placed them in the dishwasher and came back to the table, her hands behind her back as she stood watching him meekly.

"My, uh, mom says hi," she mumbles, feeling embarrassed, but she couldn't place why.

The Joker sucks his teeth, his hands on his lap. "No dessert?"

Elena scrunches up her nose. She couldn't have him here, she knew. He was a criminal, and although he had not indicated that he would hurt her in the duration of his visit here, she wasn't sure about the next time they would see each other, if there would even _be_ a next time.

"I am afraid not," she answers, hoping he'll decide to go. He gazes at her with his dark eyes, his expression once again unreadable.

"Come by to see me next week, new place. Your _friend_ will send you the address," the Joker says, standing up.

"You want- uh, oh, right, you know," Elena stutters as she hears what he says.

"You look nothing alike," he states, walking to the door. Then he turns around in a flash, again catching Elena by surprise. "You really think I'm stupid, huh?" There's a smile on his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes, which look menacing.

Elena takes a step back. "No-no, it's just what he said because-"

"Yeah, yeah, everyone's gotta find a way to survive, I get it, I get it," he shrugs, the smile gone and with it the malicious look. Elena doesn't answer but doesn't move either, again unsure of what to do. He was so erratic, but then again, what did she expect?

The Joker keeps his eyes on her, then turns on his heel and walks to the door. He doesn't wait for her to open it, instead reaching for the knob and swings back to her with a smirk.

"Don't forget, next week."

Before she could blink, he's out the door, not a second look back. Elena stares at the space where he stood, blinking stupidly. Walking forward and locking her door after a few moments had passed, Elena's primary feeling was not fear but confusion, mixed in with a bit of anxiety. She'd actually sat down and eaten with him, _talked to him_. Elena had to admit, her impression of him wasn't that he was crazy, no, that wasn't it. But she knew that in order to do the things he'd done...Well, all his marbles weren't there either. He was definitely something different, and she wondered if she could have someone like that in her life.

:::

 **Lizrel:** Hey girl, thanks so much for your comment. I actually had to read it a couple of times because I am not sure that anyone has ever reacted to something I've written like that before, so thanks for the confidence boost. I am aware that I've def got something weird going on with my writing; I'm used to writing dialogue a lot because it's what interests me the most, that and action lines. I am trying to be a screenwriter so I guess that's where I get it from! Thanks for your note on the Joker; I agree with you 100%, I don't want to waste a lot of time on his ticks and habits, though they will be mentioned, but that's something you and probably more Joker fic fans have read a thousand times over. I have also read the descriptions in fics after fics, and it gets tiring after a while. Thanks for your comment on Elena and Eric; I didn't realize that I was writing how she saw the world consistently with what she's used to until you pointed it out, and it kind of made me feel smarter afterwards haha :-) Lastly, let me know what development issues your worried about, we might have the same things in mind/Your English is wonderful (I am originally from DR so I know the English struggle) and I love Bilbao a lot since I have a friend from there and I support Athletic Bilbao :) Let me know what you think about this chapter! xx


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey everyone, thanks again for reading and leaving comments/favoring/following, I really appreciate it! The places I've used are 'real' Gotham districts and locations, and I am using New Jersey's Gotham. I haven't read the comics, and this isn't exactly a continuation of The Dark Knight or anything like that, so I hope that this world I've set up is okay with you all._ _Also, this might be a bit long, I wasn't sure where to cut it._ _As always, please let me know what you think, and happy reading :-)_

* * *

One Week Later:

 _"Sources are confirming to us that the situation in the East End has reached a boiling point; the Mayor has promised to step up police presence in the area and in surrounding neighborhoods to deescalate the tension between residents."_

Elena shut the TV off with a rueful shake of her head. She didn't even know why she bothered watching the news anymore; they reported the same kinds of stories every day, with a quote from the mayor condemning the events, yet nothing changed. It made her feel sick. And then the horrible realization came to her: she was helping this happen by working for the Joker, no matter how small a part she played in it. She stood from her couch, pacing around the living room.

 _I had him here._

 _Like it was nothing, like he was just an old friend coming for a visit._

But what was she supposed to do? Elena had to admit, it didn't really bother her... _Much_ at first. She never once thought about calling the police and giving them the location she'd been at with Eric. And even if she had, she was a sitting duck. The Joker knew where she lived, could probably get in with no problem, and he would easily overpower her, kill her, cut up her body in little pieces and mail them to her family one by one.

 _Stop_ , she thought to herself. _You're in this mess now, stupid, just play your cards correctly and maybe someday he'll let you go._

Elena's train of thought was interrupted by her phone buzzing on her table. She saw Eric's number on the caller ID and immediately picked up.

"Hey, what's up?" Elena answered, walking back to the couch to lay down.

"Nothing much you know, just a routine checkup, making sure you haven't left the country and all that," Eric chuckled. Elena could hear the tapping of his keyboard which made her smile. _Always working._

"And leave you and this beautiful place behind? No way. Are we meeting up today?"

"Yup," Eric responded. "Amusement Mile, I'll meet you at the entrance and we'll walk together to meet the others, maybe around 5 today?"

Elena snorted, "Amusement Mile? What, is he treating us to a field day for doing good work? What's next, a potluck?"

Eric laughed over the line. "Oh, Elena, if only you knew..."

She waited for him to finish, but he didn't. "So... Should I be worried or something?"

"Nah, just stay by me, you know, don't say anything that anyone will take the wrong way - you're quite good at that, by the way - and you should be fine. We'll be there an hour, tops."

"Geez, thanks for that," Elena rolled her eyes, but she knew her friend had a point.

When they both said their goodbyes, Elena settled on getting ready early since she'd be taking the bus to Otisburg, where the amusement park was located. After a shower, she decided to wear a white button down with black slacks, thinking it was a safe look for meeting up with a gang of wanted criminals. Oh, and Eric.

Elena grabbed her purse and left her apartment with an hour to spare; the bus ride to the other side of town would take up most of that hour, so she pulled out her phone, typing in _The Joker_ on Google. Before she could hit enter, she shook her head and closed the web browser. She opened the books app instead, and settled in for the ride.

:::

The Amusement Mile park was built during the industrial boom of the city in the late 1910's, and after all of these years, it was starting to show. Nevertheless, people still flocked there every weekend, and now that the weather was nice it almost looked like everyone in Gotham was jam packed into the place. The sun was setting slowly, and the rides were all light up, giving the place an almost surreal look.

Elena stood outside the entrance of the park at 4:55pm, pulling out the burner phone she always carried with her and sending Eric a text to let him know she was there. She looked around, seeing all the kids and their parents enjoying their summer vacations, and it made her smile. She checked her phone, seeing it was now 5pm and frowned slightly, looking around the area. Sure enough, there was Eric, walking towards her with a huge smile on his face.

"Hiya! We're you waiting here long? You look great, by the way! How are you? I-"

"Hi, Eric, how are you?" Elena placed a hand on his chest with a smile of her own, stopping him in his tracks.

Eric rolled his eyes and pulled her in for a hug. "I am fine, if you must know, glad you could make it. Come, let's start walking."

Eric spun her in the direction of the ticket booths, taking a look around the place. "God this place is always so fucking packed."

He got them both one-day wristbands, flirting a bit with the ticket girl who looked to be no older than 17. Elena couldn't help but watch the entire interaction with a hand covering her mouth, for fear that she would laugh out loud; the girl had no chance with Eric, she knew, but he was an exceptional flirter, if that was even a thing.

"You're horrible, did you know that?" Elena said with a laugh, flicking her head back to the ticket booth. They walked past several game stalls, all with lines a mile long.

"What? It's all in good fun," Eric shrugged, his lips pursed. "And I've seen you do that too, you're no better," he reached out at her and flicked her ear. Elena slapped his hand away and then slapped his arm. She opened her mouth to counter his claim but then found she couldn't. "You're right," she admitted, "I'll let you have that one. Anyways, where are we going? Bumper cars? Ferris wheel?"

Eric lowered his eyebrows at her, his eyes amused. "You do know that we're not here to ride anything, right?"

Elena shook her head at him, "You mean, this _isn't_ a date? How could you lead me on like this, Eric?!"

"Ha ha, very funny. Come, it's in here," he placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her under a huge sign which she'd barely caught the name of: The Joker's Funhouse.

Surprisingly, there was also a line to get into the Funhouse, but thankfully there were no kids.

"Isn't this place supposed to scare the shit out of people?" Elena asked incredulously, looking at the people in line like they were insane.

"What, you've never been?!" Eric looked at her with a shocked face, then a huge grin replaced it. "One day, I will bring you here. I think you'll really like it. Come, let's go."

Eric grabbed her hand as they walked to the front of the line, not minding the looks they were getting. The two neared the front counter which had a glass panel shielding the spotty-faced teenage boy sitting on the other side of it. He wore a light blue shirt and purple vest, his expression saying that he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Tony, hey," Eric greeted the boy with a smile.

"You're just in time," Tony's demeanor changed as he chatted with Eric, a small smile adorning his tan face. "Boss just got in a few minutes ago."

"Great," Eric replied with a wink, taking a key that Tony slid under the glass and squeezing Elena's hand. He led them past the Funhouse entrance to a door off to the side. The sign crudely plastered on it read AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY in big red letters.

"This is it, stay close to me, okay?" Eric turned his head back to look at Elena, managing to get the door open at the same time.

It took a bit for Elena's eyes to get used to the dark interior, but after several minutes she found it to be bearable as she noticed bits of glow-in-the-dark paint splatted over the walls, though not enough to light up the hallway they were walking through.

She wondered how Eric could tell where he was going, yet she didn't utter a word, glad he was still holding her hand to guide her through the dark and silence, not to mention all the turns they were taking were kind of making her dizzy.

Finally she could see a light at the end of the hall, and Eric's pace became more casual. She felt herself relax right away and let go of his hand, wiping her sweaty palm on the front her slacks.

"So, who are we meeting?" Elena asked, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt.

"I'd rather let the boss do the talking," he placed his hand on the small of her back again, ushering her through the door and then steering her to the left, where she saw tables and folding chairs set up in no particular order. Some men and two women stood there talking to each other, all tattooed and pierced. They turned their attentions to Eric and Elena as they walked through.

"Eric, hey man, how'ya doin'?" One of the men stepped forward, he was big and bald, and when he smiled at Eric, Elena could see rows of perfectly straight, white teeth.

"Hi Adam, I'm doing great man, how are you?" The two shook hands firmly, Eric returning the smile. "Hey this is my friend Elena from school. She's recently joined the team," Eric motioned to Elena, who smiled shyly at Adam.

Adam shifted his eyes at Elena, quickly looking at her up and down. He then smiled, though it was more tamed than what he greeted Eric with. "Nice to meet you, Elena. Glad you're with us," he nodded once at Eric before walking back to the group.

"Err," Elena let out a laugh, but it was humorless. She felt eyes on her from the Joker's people which made her cheeks warm; she placed the palms of her hair on her face to try to cool down.

The door behind them slammed shut loudly, making Elena jerk her hands down and look behind her. There stood the Joker, alone and in his purple and green getup. Tendrils of his hair hung on one side of his face and his makeup was smeared at his forehead. Elena felt Eric grab her arm and drag her so they were standing with the others of to the side, as the Joker walked towards them and grabbed himself a chair.

He sat with one leg crossed over the over and placed one gloved hand on his knee. He started talking with his eyes off in the distance before they settled on the gang in front of him.

"Has the shipment arrived?"

Adam stepped forward, his arms held behind his back. "Boss, the shipment arrived this morning at Miller Port, we sent some guys to make sure everything was accounted for, but we may be missing some pieces."

"And _how_ do you know?" The Joker inquired, his eyes fully on Adam.

"Johnny at the docks said the Ibanescu boys were acting strange, boss. Said once they finished loading our shipment in our trucks and we took off, he could still see some boxes left on their boat," Adam responded, his voice never wavering.

The Joker suddenly stood up, making Elena's breath hitch in her throat. He walked around the chair and then flopped his arms out at his side.

"Get me a group ready, we're paying the Romanians a visit," the Joker said to Adam, then turned to Eric, his tongue darting out and flicking to the side of his mouth. "You two, braniacs, are on inventory tonight. I wanna know what I'm missing from that _ship_ ment and how much, you got it?" He ordered, his voice gruff and mood soured.

"Yes boss," Eric nodded curtly at the Joker. Elena could only stare at him, knowing already that what happened at her apartment was a novelty; he didn't fuck around when it came to work.

She turned to watch him as he made his grand exit, shoulders hunched forward and neck sticking out. He left just as he'd entered, letting the door slam shut behind him. She jumped again.

"Jesus, Elena, get that jumping shit under control," Eric turned to her, giving her a look. "If these guys here even get a whiff of you being scared of anything, they'll destroy you."

"I'm so sorry, Eric, but this isn't exactly my _scene,_ " she defended herself, crossing her arms across her chest. Eric's gaze softened.

"Sorry, I know."

"Fine, let's just go do whatever it is he wants," she grumbled back.

"Adam! Where's the stuff?" Eric called out before Adam could go out the door.

"Downstairs, in the basement. Is she going with you?" Adam sneered, tossing Elena a scornful glance.

"Yeah, why wouldn't she be?" Eric replied easily, catching the look.

"Well, what if she fucks something up, and the boss takes it out on all of us?" Adam took two steps towards Eric, his chest puffed out.

" _Well_ , the _boss_ said she's coming. So I guess she's coming," Eric threw him a smile, but there was nothing nice about it.

Adam sucked his teeth audibly, his expression fierce. He looked at Elena once more.

"Whatever, just don't fuck it up, princess," he turned with his hands in fists, and crossed to the door. Everyone else followed after him, one of the women giving Elena an apologetic look.

"Should I even ask?" Elena said softly, her eyes on Eric.

Eric let out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a minute. "I'll tell you about it later. Let's just get a jump on these numbers, alright?"

They started making their way to the basement in another series of twists and turns through halls and down stairs, and while Eric started to talk about some new homes he was looking at for his family, Elena couldn't help but think how she'd rather be anywhere else but here.

* * *

 **Lizrel:** Thanks a bunch for your comment on Chap 3! What stood out to me the most from your observations was your comment on Elena and how you look forward to see her flaw. I have been toying with that in my head as well, because all the other OFC's paired up with Mr. J are seemingly non-distinguishable from each other (they're all mousy young women who are shy, quiet, read books, have been assaulted at some point, etc), and what you noticed with Elena is spot on: she can be kind of a dick, which I want to play around with because I want to have a believable character arc with her, have her change and grow. Also with Joker, I'm not too keen with him sharing his back story so early on, because then there would be nothing to look forward to. You were so spot on before: someone isn't just going to share their life story with you right when you meet them, even if they are 'crazy' (which I don't think he is). For the final line, I meant that she couldn't have someone like him in her life to come and disrupt her normalcy and the order in her life, but maybe that's what she needs (because she's got a stick up her ass, obviously ;)). Thanks again for reading and commenting, and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well! Hope to hear from you soon xx (PS- hope you're sleeping well!)


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hey everyone, it's been so long! Of course, that is totally my fault, but I have been re-motivated because this story keeps getting hits both on here, and on AO3. To all of you who still follow this story and have commented, thank you for sticking by this. I published this story at the end of March last year, and by its anniversary this year I hope to have, at the very least, 2 more chapters up. I am trying to work out a system where I'll upload around once a month and we'll see where we go from there. As always, I am interested in what you guys think and would love to read comments on this chapter or any others. Thanks for reading my work!_

"Stop sulking. You look like a baby," Eric chastised Elena.

"I can't believe I'm stuck doing internship work. Am I to become the coffee girl?" Elena whined, eyeing the boxes that filled the storage room.

Eric grabbed a clipboard from a lone folding table. His eyes scanned the attached sheet.

"Uh, be grateful that this is what he's letting you do- you don't want to be involved with anything else."

"So what's in these boxes?" She asked, placing a hand on one.

"Gun parts."

Elena removed her hand as if she'd been burned.

" _What_?"

"Yeah, the shipment from the Romanians. Doesn't feel like internship work now, does it?"

"Eric, I don't- have a gun license or anything! I can't be caught handling this stuff," she places her hands on her hips.

Eric turns his attention to her. He raises an eyebrow. "I guess we'll just have to be extra careful, right?"

One hour later saw them go through most of the boxes, Elena checking the contents and Eric taking notes of what was inside.

"Only four left it looks like. Wanna take a break?" Eric said.

Elena pushes some boxes aside and cleared a space on the floor. "I'm way ahead of you." She lowered herself on the floor, spreading her arms and legs as far as they could go.

"Please, don't say anything about the dirty floor," she croaked, closing her eyes.

A knock came from the door. Elena stayed perfectly still on the floor while Eric walked over to the door.

"Yes?" He answers.

"I-uh, was sent here by some guys upstairs?" Came the male voice that Elena couldn't see.

Eric shrugged. "Come in, come in."

Elena could hear feet shuffling, followed by the door closing again.

"That's Elena on the floor, and I'm Eric, you?"

Elena sits up to get a better look at the man. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, his hair closely shaved to his head and his cheeks were pink. He was handsome in an odd sort of way.

"Kevin, nice to meet you both," Kevin raised his hand and awkwardly waved at Elena.

"Hi," Elena smiles warmly at him.

"They sent you down to help?" Eric asks.

"Yeah, it would seem so, they said you're doing inventory or something?"

"Well, we're almost fucking finished! I can't believe these people," Elena shook her head, standing from the floor.

Kevin looks at her, a bit startled. "Oh, I don't mean you, you just got here," she assures him.

"Sorry, Kevin. For some reason, Elena is surprised everyone here isn't the welcoming committee from her private ski resort in Switzerland," Eric rolls his eyes at his friend; she sticks her tongue out at him.

Kevin chuckles.

"It's okay. I don't think many of us are here because we want to or anything."

"You mean, you didn't fill out an application?" Elena dramatically places a hand on her chest.

"They hired you without references?!" Eric continues after her.

Kevin fully laughs now, a hand covering his mouth. "Yeah," he says between laughs, "I couldn't believe it either."

"Did you get a lot of work done today?"

Elena stands in front of J, her body perfectly still. The small, dingy room someone pointed out as his office smelled like sewer water and had some very bad lighting. He was sat in front of a desk, toying with some wires and a battery pack, making god knows what.

Pieces of gray duct tape hung from the side of the table, and he grabbed them one by one, sticking parts of the wire to the device. Curiously, he still had his gloves on, but they didn't seem to hinder his work, and he expertly cut the wires and worked them this way and that way, as if he was just using his bare hands.

Suddenly, one of those hands came down hard on the table, the dull _SLAP_ breaking Elena out of her thoughts.

"Er-sorry- what?"

"Did you not _hear_ me, _doll-ah_?"

"Sorry, I was just distracted," she quickly spat out. She knotted her fingers together, waiting for him to speak again.

"How much was missing from the _ship_ ment?"

She told him.

"How many _times_ did you, uh, count?"

She answered, twice. Then waited a moment. "And the second time," she added, "we had an extra person with us, the numbers didn't change, so..."

" _Good, good,_ " the Joker purred, holding up his finished piece of work. He stood up quickly, a smile on his face. Holding the device in one hand, he fished inside his pants pockets and pulled out a small burner phone, not unlike the one Elena had bought. He typed into it, then put it back in his pocket.

"I sure hope you're not big on _beauty sleep_ , sweets, because you're not sleepin' tonight," J says, walking towards Elena.

"What do you mean?"

Elena wearily waited around. She didn't remember mentioning she wanted over time. _Wait_ , she thought, _am I getting paid for this?_

She had followed J into another room, dimly lit and just as bare as the other ones she'd seen. J had walked out almost immediately, and, after a few moments of Elena staring at the door, others started walking in.

Men, women, of all shapes, sizes, and colors filled the room. Most of them, she noted, looked pretty normal. Like your next door neighbor or your bus driver. _Just like me_ , she thought. _Normal_.

Others carried themselves with an intimidating step and confident air. Elena felt herself gravitate towards the corner of the room, her back on the cold hard wall.

She blinked around, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. She knew she didn't belong here.

Minutes dragged on. Elena pressed harder on the wall, her mind littered with multiple expletives and complaints.

After what felt like an eternity to Elena, the large steel door swung open, revealing Eric. His eyes searched the room for her, catching her in a corner, spine erect and an annoyed look in her eyes.

"What are we waiting around for?" A guy called out to him. Elena began making her way to the door, her eyes solely on Eric.

"I wish I knew, man. If I find out anything, I'll let you know, okay? I'm just taking this one to storage, got a lot of work to do," Eric replies, flashing the guy a smile. Elena didn't get to see the guys face before Eric placed a hand on her back and led her out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Are we really doing more work?" She whined as soon as they were alone.

"No," Eric scoffed. "I was looking for you everywhere! Why where you in there?"

Elena shrugged. "He just kinda pushed me into the room and closed the door, made it seem like he had more work for me but then just never showed up. You know, some people shouldn't really be in charge of other people." She shook her head. "So anti-climactic, like he literally didn't show up."

"Let's just get out of here," Eric began walking.

"Hey, where's Kevin?" Elena asks, looking around at the people they were passing in the hallway.

"He got called to the docks, late night pick up. I got his number, though," he smiles mischievously.

"Oh, you little minx!" Elena lets out a squeal, much to the chagrin of the others around her. Eric and she locked arms and fell into step.

"Sleepover, yeah?" He asked.

"Of course, we need a plan so that I don't go crazy while being here."


End file.
